the insights requested by the EU (and responses from Florence and Venice) – Corriere.it

The headlights come onEuropean Union on stadiums: the restyling of the Franks Of Florence and the construction of a new plant nearby Venice become a case, after being targeted by the Commission.

These two projects Indeed, financed (also) with Pnrr fundsI’m in the list of «technical insights» that Brussels reserves the right to do before release the funds (it is the 19 billion of the tranche at the end of 2022) for Italy.

And the debate bounces from foreign newspapers, including Financial Times
And Politico.eu
read with great attention to the upper floors of the Union, to the politics of our house: the funds of plan that must restart national economies after the pandemic — with infrastructure and strategic investments, on environment and digital — used for football stadiums?

The mayors, primarily those of Florence and Venice, Dario Nardella and Luigi Brugnarodefend the choice and oppose the temporary stop of the EU: “If projects such as Venice and Florence do not deserve to pass, almost all of the Pnrr should not be authorized”.

But there is also who, how Matthew Renzi, is instead critical: «The money from the Pnrr must go to social housing, not to the stadium. This must be done again with private money, not with taxpayers’ taxes ».

The projects: EU funds for 55 and 99 million euros

In the sights of the European technicians is the redevelopment of the stadium in Florence, the Franchi, and the surrounding area: in particular, the 55 million of the contribution relating to integrated urban plans, on the total cost of about 200 million of the work. The Commission had approved the preliminary project, but the relative financial plan was revised due to the increase in the cost of materials, with an additional allocation from the State. Brussels has asked, in fact, for an in-depth analysis and the government has obtained a month to arrive at a new go-ahead.

The same problem for Venice, with the project for the Bosco dello sport: green area – on 115.56 hectares, 68% forested – with a new stadium with 16,000 seats and an arena for events, as well as other ancillary works on roads and parks. Initially the estimated cost was 283 million, of which 93 from the Pnrr, now increased to 308 million.

The debate

The government now has, in fact, a month to unlock the game. Nardella claims the “correctness of the procedure and the eligibility of the funding” and is ready to fly to Brussels to «be audited by the Commission services, in agreement with the government»: «Our project is excellent, we have complied with all the criteria established by the various Italian governments in every detail». Also because, concludes the mayor of Florence, the EU institutions “have said nothing before now”.

«It is a situation that nobody hoped for – says the mayor Brugnaro – I am always confident but we will see. The good thing is that the government is united in defending the projects».

The Meloni government is deployed, in fact, in defense of the projectseven if these provisions were inheritedthey underline in their exchange with Brussels, by the executive of Mario Draghi and then no one from the EU had to complain.

But like Renzi in Florence, even in Venice there is no shortage of critical voices: «The funds of the Pnrr for urban regeneration must be invested in urban regeneration, not in a new stadium and in a concert arena», say the minority in the Municipality, while environmental associations also express reservations about the project.